Smart Wheelchair as Assistive Technology Solution for Wheelchair Users from India

Abstract

The disabled populace of India has increased by 22.4% from 2001 to 2011. Over 2.13% of the whole populace of India is confronting with various levels of difficulties in everyday life. Assistive Technology (AT) can empower such populace to bring social equity. Assistive devices like smart wheelchair are the rehabilitation advances which are basic requirement of such disabled populace. Disabled populace can have better quality of life if they are assisted with smart wheelchair. Smart wheelchair not just helps the disabled populace to lead a normal life but defeats their inability. In India, statistics shows that disabled populous are more in rural areas. The fundamental reason behind this larger percentage in rural area is absence of best practices in assistive devices in rural area. The reasons are lack of information of smart wheelchair due to lack of education and poor financial conditions. Advances in smart wheelchair have opened a number of opportunities to help such disabled populace. This paper basically concentrates on the possibilities of the smart wheelchair with minimal cost with advanced sensor technology as effective rehabilitation technology for the Indian disabled population.